Leaf-holder and support for books



(No Model.)

J. F. MORTON.

LEAF HOLDER AND SUPPORT FOR BOOKS.

No. 339,202. Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

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JAMES F. MORTON, OF NEVTON CENTRE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEAF-HOLDER AND SUPPORT FOR BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,202, dated April 6, 1886.

(No model.)

To aZZ wit-0m it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. MORTON, of Newton Centre, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Leaf-Holder and Support for Books, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a portable device for holding the leaves of a book open and supporting the book in an inclined position when resting upon a level table-top or other surface; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings, and to the claims to be hereinafter given.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is perspective view of a book with my leaf-holder applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of my leaf-holder detached from the book and drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional clevation, the cutting plane being on line at .r on Figs. 2 and 3.

In the drawings, A is a thinlight bar, which may be made of wood or of metal, as may be desired, said bar being provided in its upper surface and at the center of its length with the recess a to receive the back of the book, and has set in its upper side, at one side of said recess, the U-shaped clamping-wire I), themain body of which is parallel to and a short distance above the upper surface of the bar A, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Two or more wire staples, c, are set in the upper side of the bar A, which staples embrace the shaft (Z, which is preferably made of wire and provided at each end with a curved arm, d, projecting at right angles therefrom and between said arms, with one or more crank'like offsets, d upon which one or more springs, e, secured in said bar A, act to force the ends of the arms (1 down upon the leaf of the book when turned toward the front, or to hold said arms open when turned back, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4.

The springs e are preferably made each from a single piece of wire, in which is formed two coils, connected by a U-shaped projection, the ends of said wire being set in the bar A,

as shown, the U-shaped projecting connection pressing upward against the crank-like offset d in the shaft (1, as shown in Fig. 2, and by such pressure maintains the shaft (1 in its proper positionthat is, forced hard into the bite of the staples c, as shown.

To the under side of the bar A is hinged two supporting-arms, B B, which may be turned outward at right angles to the bar A, as indi' cated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, in which position they serve to support the book in an inclined position if placed upon a table or other level surface, as illustrated in Fig.1, or be folded toward each other against the under side ofbar A, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

The operation of my invention is as follows: One of the lids of the book has its top edge inserted between the bar A and the U-shaped clamping-wire b, said clamping-wire passing between said lid and the leaves of the book near the hinge of the lid in such a manner that when the book is opened the top portion of its back shall rest in the recess a, the arms (2 having been previously thrown back into the positions indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4.

\Vhen the device is properly affixed to the book, and the book has been opened to the place desired, the arms (1 are turned toward the front till their ends rest upon the leaves of the book, as shown in Fig. l, in which position they remain until it is desired to turn a leaf, when it is only necessary to raise the arms (2, turn the leaf, and let the arms (1 fall again.

This leaf-holder is a very convenient and useful article for use by any person who desires to read a book while his or her hands are employed in other duties than holding the book open; it being made light and comparatively inexpensive, it may be :ulvantageously used in many places as a substitue for the more expensive and cumbersome book-rests and supports.

I am aware of the Letters Patent granted to E. V. Parker, March i, 1884., and to G. H. Northrop, February 10, 1885, and numbered, respectively, 2%,498 and 3l2,l53, and I do not claim anything shown and described therein; but my leaf-holder is an cssentiallydifferent device to either of those shown and described in said patents in that it is much IFO more portable than either of them, and capable of being used differently, and is more convenient and easily operated, being adapted to be used upon a table or other level support with the book in nearly a level position or in a more inclined position, as may be desired, and when not in use it occupies but little space and can be easily carried in the pocket. What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A portable leaf-holder containing the following elements, viz: a light fiat bar, a clamp for securing said bar to the lid of a book, a rocker-shaft provided with two curved leafholding arms and one or more crank offsets, and a spring or springs constructed and arranged to act upon said offset or offsets to hold said arms in contact with the leaves of the book, or in their retracted position, subsian- 3. The combination of the bar A, provided with the recess a, the clamp b, the rocker-shaft d, mounted in bearings upon said bar and pro vided with a crank offset, (1 the curved arms (1 d, and the spring 0, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

4. The combination of a thin flat bar,a clamp secured thereon and adapted to secure said bar to the lid of a book, a rockershaft mounted in bearings upon said bar and provided with two radiating leaf-holding arms, a spring JAMES F. MORTON.

Vitnesses:

N. C. LOMBARD, VALTER E. LOMBARD. 

